It seems as if every other article I am doing lately is on the Raiders, and trust me I am not complaining, but this is a team with a ton of intrigue surrounding it. One such intrigue is the recent signing of Josh Cribbs and the rising potential of the Raiders signing Charles Woodson. We also cannot forget the recent signing of rookie free agent QB Matt McGloin. All of these moves of potential moves can produce some interesting repercussions and that is what I intend to discuss in this article. Remember I am not expert, but I am an educated fan that is fantastic at connecting dots which is essentially what we fans must do. It may be my basic curiosity or my fascination with politics that leads to mass skepticism, but I put little faith in the writings of local beat writers. It’s nothing against them, but let’s be honest about something. NFL GMs and head coaches are no different than politicians and they only tell the media what they want the media to know. With that in mind, let us begin some rampant speculation and at minimum some great discussion for Raider Nation which it desperately needs. A good football conversation cannot occur at 140 characters at a time and I have been going at it with Raider Nation in such a forum so let’s get some ideas out there. These are not predictions, although I did predict the Palmer trade to the Cardinals. Instead these are conversation starters and some general possibilities.
Cribbs Signing:
This is the signing that set off a whirlwind of chatter amongst Raider fans in the Nation, because many see it as a shot against WR and return darling Jacoby Ford. The pint sized receiver won the hearts of Raider fans worldwide when as a rookie he had 2 amazing receptions against the Chiefs, single handedly winning that game late in the year. Year two saw growth, but year three was ended in camp due to a Liz Frank injury. I hate that woman. The issue here is that Cribbs is obviously a return specialist and it puts Ford on a hot seat. The Raiders will only carry 6 WRs but they have 8 that are on Raider Nation’s radar. Moore, Ford, Criner, Streater, Cribbs, Butler, Vernon, and Holmes are the players.
This issue could be solved easily by placing 2 WRs on the practice squad and Butler, Holmes, and Vernon can all be placed on the squad. The issue with the squad is that it only has 8 spots and I doubt they want to place two or three WRs on the practice squad. I doubt they keep more than 7 total WRs and in such a case I would guess Butler or Vernon head to the practice squad, but there are other possibilities.
The first is trading or cutting Jacoby Ford. A guy on twitter sent me a trade idea that would send Pryor and Ford to the Browns for Jabal Sheard. I can absolutely see that happening and makes sense for both teams. Ford has value and Reggie McKenzie loves his picks so a trade makes the most sense, but because McKenzie loves his draft picks I think there is an outside chance he decides to move on from both Ford and Moore. Neither WR was drafted by him, neither fits the physical WR skill set Reggie and Ted Thompson draft, and neither WR runs every route in a crisp fashion. In fact both guys are basically one trick ponies as fast downfield threats that can be stifled by press coverage. Reggie whether in Green Bay or Oakland has sought out WRs that are on the larger side, hand fight well, are physical both with and without the football, and most importantly run crisp routes with a full route tree. Simply put, Moore and Ford do not fit this mold. That doesn’t mean I think both will be gone, especially Moore who has the most upside, but I do think it’s important for Raider Nation to brace itself for any move even if it involves a player they love being traded. Reggie has shaken this roster up in dramatic fashion, and I can see a situation where the Raiders trade both Ford and Moore for the right price. Only time will tell.
Charles Woodson:
If the Raiders bring Charles home it certainly changes the dynamics of the safety position, but the biggest effect may be on Sebastian Janikowski and/or Jon Condo. Between these two players the Raiders are spending 6 million dollars and if Reggie cuts both the Raiders can save about 5 million dollars this year. We saw last year two rookie kickers both tear up the NFL at one tenth the cost of Janikowski. It is a scary possibility for Raider Nation to say goodbye to SeaBass especially after watching Lechler leave, but with so many holes and a desperate need for veteran leadership to help along this very young roster, it is a sacrifice a GM like Reggie would make in order to build his roster right. He does not have the luxury of wasting millions on a kicker even if it is SeaBass.
Matt McGloin:
The Raiders signed the ex-Penn State three year starter at QB to a three year deal which is a little strange for an undrafted free agent signing. Most of the time these players receive one year contracts and if they stick they receive rookie minimum deals, but to sign him to a three year deal right off the bat makes me truly wonder if Reggie wants to move on from Terrell Pryor. As with Moore and the WR model Reggie seems to prefer, Pryor seemingly does not fit the mold of a McKenzie or Ted Thompson QB. Whether it is Favre, Hasslebeck, Rodgers, Flynn, Wilson, or McGloin, every QB is usually around 6’2 and about 215 pounds with a solid arm but a focus on leadership and mobile enough to avoid pressure but not always rush for yards. Pryor is a dynamic athlete that is not polished, has spotty footwork, and sketchy mechanics. I am a Pryor fan, but he just seems to be the odd man out. Reggie could very easily place McGloin on the practice squad, but this was a QB that many teams were bidding on and he has a three year contract already.
There is a very good chance that all of this speculation turns out to be absolutely nothing, but I want to use the medium I have been provided to float possibilities out there, create discussion, and get the Raider Nation prepared for anything. These are just some thoughts and they may be from a crazy person, but they may also be correct.
http://ukendzone.com/2013/05/16/interes ... er-nation/
Written by Rory Anderson
